I Had My First Laser Hair Reduction Appointment, Now what?

You had your first Laser Hair Reduction session and now you want to know what comes next.

Let’s chat about what precautions to take after your session.

Laser hair removal / reduction is a great investment in your personal self care and it is worth being mindful of aftercare information provided by the studio at enrollment and the tips your technician will provide for you to help ensure great outcomes.

Cool down:  During a laser hair reduction treatment the laser delivers enough energy to create small heat damage so that each follicle producing a hair at the time of your session is unable to produce another hair in the future. When we add that energy and heat to your body, it is important to allow your tissue to cool down completely for healing, in a Minnesota Winter that happens much quicker than other climates or seasons. We recommend avoiding activities that add heat and friction for at least 24 hours, i.e. sauna, hot tub, hot yoga, massage, running, biking, vigorous exercise.

Mindful suncare:  Great suncare is always a great idea, future you will thank you. Additionally, your laser session is tailored for your specific untanned tissue. Laser and suntan (or sunless tanning products) do not mix well, as the laser cannot account for the pigment that your body develops as a result of sun damage. Mill City Laser uses the Candela Gentlemax Pro Plus, which can effectively target the melanin of the hair while protecting natural melanin in the skin. When our skin darkens as a result of the sun, that pigment sits closer to the surface of the skin and it is harder for the laser to decipher that pigment from the pigment of the hair and can cause pigmentation issues. Best practices are to avoid sun exposure at least 2 weeks before and at least 2 weeks following treatment. The #1 tip from the American Academy of Dermatology Association is to wear sunscreen daily.

Simple skincare:  We recommend keeping your skincare routine very simple following treatment and limiting topicals to sunscreen, moisturizer, and gentle cleansing. After 2 days, it is usually fine to get back to your typical routine and products, as long as nothing stings with application. Immediately following laser treatments, your skin  may be a little pink (erythema) and there may be a little swelling at the follicles (perifollicular edema). For some people, this dissipates by the time they leave the studio and for others, this may linger a bit longer, but likely not more than 24 hours in areas where the hair is the most coarse and dense  Pores may also be a little more open for a day or two following treatment, so it’s great to pause on foundations and powders as well as swimming pools and hot tubs where bacteria may be more abundant. Be sure to chat with your technician about the products you use for more custom recommendations and disclose photosensitizing products like retinol and tretinoin. 

Come back on time:  Laser hair removal / reduction  is only effective on hairs in  the active (anagen) portion of the growth cycle. We recommend a follow up session  approximately 2 weeks into regrowth to treat the largest amount of active follicles as possible. Hairs do not all grow at the same rate, so it is  important to observe what your body does.  For most people, facial hair regrowth is best treated in 4 - 6 week intervals and body regrowth in 6 - 8 week intervals.  Your technician is here to help you get best outcomes and is glad to help you reschedule so that we are getting best results for you. While reduction will happen with each treatment, catching the largest amount of growth for each cycle will yield best results. It is also sound advice to start treatment when you are able to complete a full series of sessions on time for growth cycles. We are happy to talk through specific needs, questions, and plans with you. 

Communication is key:  Laser treatments are customized to each person. Any specific information you notice about how your body responds to your laser treatments is good information for your technician. We love when you keep an eye out for timing of your growth cycles and information about color and texture changes of hair. Keeping your technician apprised of medication and health updates is important so that any extra protocol needed can be put in place for great outcomes. Likewise, if you ever experience something following a session that you are not sure about or seems outside of your normal, we are glad to hear about it and will make adjustments as needed for future treatments.